Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Plaid shirts are practically my oldest son's year round uniform, which has led to some good natured teasing from the rest of his family. Being the affable fellow he is and in defense of his fashion sense, he smilingly declares, "Plaids are just Manly". All teasing aside, I happen to like using plaid shirts for patchwork projects, like this quilt for my son. Seeing that my plaid stash isn't waning any, plus the fact that said son loves to read, is it any surprise I came up with this project? LOL

Pattern to make an updated and pre-cut friendly version of this reading pillow found HERE

The pillow itself is a fairly simple design. The main body of it is in one piece (what better project for my first foray into patchwork hexagons?) and the end panels are right angle triangles.

The patchwork piece is machine quilted while the end panels are one layer cut from a shirt and framed by piping I made using a red plaid shirt. A zipper runs the full width of the bottom of the cover, to make it removable for washing. My newest serger was used to finish the raw edges (using only two threads - which I find so amazing), so that laundering the plaid cover won't make it fall apart. Especially important, as this son is one to regularly launder things.

Lastly, there's a pocket, taken from a shirt front, stitched onto the one end panel for my son to slip his MP3 into. I like that little extra touch of function because I know how much he loves listening to music when he's hanging out in his man-cave.

I had to share this shot, taken yesterday. The vibrant colour of the leaves against the sky was so gorgeous. Nature is so inspiring and Autumn is here in all her glory. Thankfully, sunny days have arrived so that I can get out to enjoy the beauty of it. I'm storing up the energy of those colours and savouring the sunshine. Hope your days are every bit as brilliant! Happy sewing....

EDITED to ADD...I now have a PDF pattern available for purchase (here) so you can sew your own version of my patchwork hexie reading pillow. The pattern has been updated so that you can use pre-cuts to make it, but of course you can keep it scrappy like my "Manly" original. Enjoy!

Monday, September 27, 2010

This weekend I attended the 15th annual Creative Stitches and Crafting Alive for the first time. There was so much to see and learn. Having never attended, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I packed a notebook, my camera, a snack, some water and hand in hand with my husband, sauntered into the show. Five hours later... and in no particular order ... (1.) I had made a luggage tag,

which was really an excuse for me to try out the newest Janome home sewing machine. My own is 20 years old and as much as I love using her, it was a treat to try out the latest and greatest updates from Janome. I played around with embroidery stitches - check out those "shoes"!

Having spent the bulk of my sewing years on a Janome, the Horizon felt quite familiar as some of the best features have been kept through the years and improvements have been added. My favourite being the AcuFeed System . Fabric (I was sewing through 2 layers of denim) feeds evenly, and quietly (quite different from the walking foot attachment I have to use on my older Janome). There's many more features I like, but I won't make this post a machine review. ;o)

(2.) I found some wonderful deals on quilting necessities...

fabric that I needed...

and fabric that I really, really wanted.

(3.) I enjoyed seeing the quilting competition entries (here's a sample of some of the gorgeous creations - I apologize for not having the names of the artists, sadly the names were not displayed.)

Here's a couple of close ups to show the quilting details, which were amazing....

Most of the entries featured intricate machine embroidery which was incredible.

I was drawn to this cute appliqued quilt. Check out the sweet dresses hanging on the clothesline in the center of this quilt.

My photo of this quilt doesn't do it justice. The entire background was a rich black and each embroidered block was in a different colour. It was so striking. I had no idea just how advanced and popular machine embroidery has become. These quilts inspired me to learn more and I'm grateful to Kerrin at the Pfaff booth for spending so much of her time showing my husband and myself the possibilities for creative expression using software and a Pfaff embroidery machine.

(4.) The icing on the cake for such an inspiring, creative day was getting to try out long arm quilting on a TinLizzie. Oh, my! What a treat! Guess what I've added to my sewing wish list? ;o)

The time spent at this show flew by. Originally, I thought I would take in some of the classes, but as it turned out, I was fortunate enough to have enlightening information passed on just by asking questions at various booths. I'll be marking my calendar for next year's show and saving up my pennies for the great deals available there.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

It seems that these journal covers are my latest favourite way to turn fabric scraps into something useful. Each time I look at the scrap collection I visualize another journal cover!

Making one in bright pinks and greens is a cheerful contrast to the grey and very rainy fall here. I'm completing these covers just in time as I find I've got all sorts of planning and creative brainstorming I need to get down on paper. Hopefully, these journal covers will give my writing a much needed creative boost. September seems like the right month for planning out goals and dreaming up dreams for the months ahead.

You know I can't resist sharing what the whole cover looks like...

I pushed myself to incorporate as many of the tiniest pieces that I possibly could. The more fabrics, the better when it comes to scrappy patchwork! ;o)

The pink variegated thread I bought for making this quilt, was used to simply stipple quilt all this patchy goodness together.

Friday, September 17, 2010

This tutorial shows how to make a patchwork quilted journal cover with a ribbon bookmark, based upon the measurements of a purchased hard cover journal. Make your own customized cover by measuring the book you want to cover, raiding your scrap stash, and sewing a work of art!

Supplies:

*measuring tape, pencil and paper large enough for you to make a template of the journal cover ( which will include all seam allowances and ease).

Note: because these covers are customized, the measurements I give for the size of my journal and for the sizes I cut for the lining, batting, flaps and the quilted cover may differ from yours. Just follow the calculation formulas I've given to determine what amount of fabric and batting you will need.

~ narrow ribbon(scrapbooking ribbon works great and doesn't fray. The length needed depends upon the size of your journal. I used 15" for my journal)

~ plain cotton quilting weight to be used as a foundation fabric for the patchwork

~ cotton quilting fabric for the lining of the journal cover

~ cotton quilting fabric for the flaps of the cover

I also highly recommend a walking foot to be used for the topstitching (the last step in assembling the cover). The walking foot simplifies stitching through all the layers of the cover.

1. Measure the total length of the book, laid flat on its spine. ( length is 15.25" )

2. Measure the height of the book ( height is 9.5" )

3. Make a paper template to aid you in cutting the cover, the flaps and the lining for the journal cover you will take the above measurements and add in .25" seams and ease.

Take the length measurement 15.25" + 7" (this will allow me to wrap 3.5" as flaps at each end) + 1.25" ( for seam allowance and ease) = 23.25" total length

Take the height measurement 9.5"+1.25" (for seam allowance and ease)=10.75" total height

The paper template for my cover will measure 23.25" long and 10.75" high(see above photo, showing the comparison between the size of the book and the template to make the cover).

4. Take the plain fabric for your foundation piece and cut it 6" shorter than the template length and 1" greater in height than the template. This extra allows for any loss that may occur during piecing and quilting. Once the quilting is completed, the pieced cover will be cut to the exact size needed to make the cover.

Here's the scraps I pulled to make my cover. There are strips, small squares, rectangles and even odd shaped fabric bits. I always start with the smaller bits.

5. Mark the mid point in the length of your foundation piece before starting. This helps with visualizing the front and back portions of the quilted cover. Choosing two smaller fabric scraps and placing them a little higher than halfway up on the right half of the foundation piece (as this will become the front cover on my journal), machine stitch in place using .25" seam allowance - fabric pieces are placed right sides together, with the bottom fabric placed wrong side down on the foundation fabric. See next photo....

6. Press the seam just stitched, then open the fabrics so that both are wrong side down and press again.

7. Take another fabric scrap that will be at least as long as the ones already in place on the foundation and lay this next piece right side down, stitching it onto the previous fabrics with a .25" seam.

Repeat step #6

Repeat step #7 and then #6...

It's possible to stitch small pieces together first to make up a length needed for your patchwork - as shown below. Also, pieces with angles can be incorporated.

The important thing to remember is to keep all the piecing lines you sew, straight, because not only are straight lines easier to manage, it will keep you from having areas where you miss covering a raw edge with your piecing.

Another tip to make your piecework go more smoothly is to add a little extra length to any fabric pieces that are alongside an angled fabric piece...

so that the piece you will sew onto the angle (keep it aligned with the angle) now can join onto those side pieces without any raw edges ending up unstitched. Simply trim the extra off those side pieces once the seam transversing them is completed.

8. Keep adding pieces and strips until the whole foundation fabric has been covered in patchwork.

9. Take your quilt batt and lay the newly completed patchwork piece on top. Cut the batting slightly larger than the patchwork piece to make quilting easier.

10. Pin patchwork piece to the batting and machine quilt the layers together.

11. Cut your lining fabric using the fabric template you made in step #3.

Here you can see my template on top of the lining cut to size and my completed piece of patchwork, quilted and ready to be assembled (photo below).

12. Cut the patchwork piece (after you completed all the quilting) to down to the size you need to make the front cover. From the total length determined for the template you will subtract *7". The height measurement will be the same as the template.

The size of my patchwork piece is cut to measure 16.5" by 10.75"

*Flaps will be sewn onto each end of the patchwork piece making up the lost 7", as you want the front cover to be the same size as your template, once the flaps are attached.

13. Find center on the lengthwise top edge of the quilted piece. Baste the ribbon right side to right side at the top edge to form the bookmark for the journal.

14. Cut flaps for the front cover. The flaps will make the pockets on the inside of the cover that the journal will slide into.
Cut 2 flaps 4" wide by the height of the template. (4" x 10.75" for this cover)

15. Using .25" seam allowance, sew the long edge of each flap (right sides to right sides) onto the short ends of the quilted cover. Remember to back stitch the start and finish of these seams.

Here's the cover with both flaps sewn on.

16. Press the seam towards the flaps.

17. Lay the completed front cover (quilted main part with the flaps) right side up, with center marked by pins on the lengthwise edges, and place the lining right side down on top of it. Pin in place. Using a .25" seam, stitch around the perimeter of the cover, leaving an opening along the bottom edge for turning.

Make sure that the ribbon used for the bookmark is only stitched down where it's already been basted and not caught anywhere else in this seam.

18. Clip the corners,

turn right side out and press. Hand stitch the opening closed.

19. * Press the flaps, 3.5", to the inside of the cover (placing the seam line where they are attached to quilted cover as the front edge). Pin in place. The flaps form the pockets which the journal will slide into to secure the cover over it.

* I added my label onto the bottom (near the edge) of the back flap BEFORE I pinned and stitched the flap in place

20. Using the walking foot on your machine, top stitch 1/8" from the edge around the full perimeter of the cover.

The sewing part is complete!

Slide the front cover and back cover of the journal into the pockets formed by the flaps more easily by folding the cover in half along its center (where the spine of the journal will lay). Now the tension of a snug fit won't impede the journal fitting into the pockets. ;o)

Ready to use!

A look at the finished cover when opened flat....

﻿If desired, you can hand stitch buttons or charms to the quilted cover to really personalize it (click here and here).